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Nine insurgents, two of them suicide bombers, launched an early morning attack on a US base in eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad on Sunday, officials said.

Two bombers blew up their explosive-laden vehicle at the main gate of the base -- the entrance to Jalalabad airport too  paving the way for seven other armed insurgents to start a four-hour gun-battle with foreign and Afghan troops stationed there.

Two civilians have been killed and four others wounded in the gunfire, police sources told TOLOnews.

Afghan and Nato forces have not suffered any casualties, local officials said.

The Afghan and Nato forces were able to gun down all the attackers by 9:30am local time.

A Taliban spokesman claimed responsibility for the attack, saying one suicide bomber detonated his explosives at the entrance cleaning the way for several others to make their way onto the base.

#10 I'll never understand or comprehend their willingness to blow themselves up
YS, this trait comes under the biological heading of choosing not to have progeny. This includes being gay, being celibate etc. It comes from nature i.e it is natural (sui gereris) which means it's in the genes and not under rational control. As it is in the genes it means it is not confines to humans but can go deep down to, for instance bees and ants. It might help explain why some bees give up their right to breed to enhance the continuation of the hive.I.e it goes against the selfish gene hypothesis.
As its in the genes it's easy to call up, simply show that it will help the community.
All you need to do is set the scene and "volunteers" will put themselves forward. See kamikaze pilots.

#11 The base is home to the Afghan Air Force training center, and may also (by now) house many of the other training schools for the Air Force. It has been heavily refurbed and was to have become the jewel of the Afghan Air Force.